Recently, mobile communication devices, personal digital assistants (PDA) or other portable electronic devices with image-shooting functions are widely used. Since the portable electronic devices are carried easily, the image-shooting functions become basic functions of the portable electronic devices. In other words, the portable electronic device is equipped with a camera module. Generally, the camera module comprises a lens assembly and a sensing chip. After ambient light beams pass through the camera module, the ambient light beams are refracted. The sensing chip has a sensing area. When the ambient light beams passing through the camera module are imaged on the sensing area, an image is generated.
The structure of a conventional camera module will be illustrated as follows. FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded view illustrating a conventional camera module. As shown in FIG. 1, the camera module 1 comprises a lens assembly 10, a voice coil motor 11 and a printed circuit board 12. The lens assembly 10 and the voice coil motor 11 are combined together in order to shoot an object to acquire an image of the object. The voice coil motor 11 comprises a flexible circuit board 111. The flexible circuit board 111 is located at a lateral side of the lens assembly 10. Moreover, plural first electrical contacts 112 on the flexible circuit board 111 are exposed to the lateral side of the lens assembly 10. The printed circuit board 12 comprises a sensing chip 121 and plural second electrical contacts 122. The sensing chip 121 is disposed on a surface of the printed circuit board 12. The function of the sensing chip 121 is similar to that mentioned above. The plural first electrical contacts 112 are located at a lateral side of the printed circuit board 12. Moreover, the plural first electrical contacts 112 are aligned with the plural first electrical contacts 112, respectively.
FIG. 2 is a schematic assembled view illustrating the conventional camera module. After the lens assembly 10, the voice coil motor 11 and the printed circuit board 12 are combined together, the resulting structure of the camera module 1 is shown in FIG. 2. After the voice coil motor 11 is placed on the printed circuit board 12, the plural first electrical contacts 112 on the flexible circuit board 111 and the plural second electrical contacts 122 on the printed circuit board 12 are close to each other. Moreover, plural welding elements 13 are located at the lateral side of the printed circuit board 12. The plural first electrical contacts 112 and the corresponding second electrical contacts 122 are connected with each other through the corresponding welding elements 13. Consequently, the plural first electrical contacts 112 and the corresponding second electrical contacts 122 are electrically connected with each other. After the electric connection between the voice coil motor 11 and the printed circuit board 12 is established, the camera module 1 is normally operated.
However, the conventional camera module 1 still has some drawbacks. Since the plural second electrical contacts 122 are located at the lateral side of the printed circuit board 12 and the welding elements 13 have to be installed on the lateral side of the printed circuit board 12, it is necessary to provide a reserved area 123 on the lateral side of the printed circuit board 12. Under this circumstance, the width T1 of the printed circuit board 12 is larger than the width T2 of the voice coil motor 11. Recently, the volume of the portable electronic device is gradually decreased, and the demands on the functions of the portable electronic device are gradually increased. Consequently, it is difficult to lay out electronic components in the inner space of the portable electronic device. That is, many electronic components cannot be effectively installed in the limited space of the portable electronic device. Due to the arrangement of the reserved area 123 of the printed circuit board 12, it is difficult to install the conventional camera module 1 in the inner space of the portable electronic device.
Therefore, there is a need of providing a camera module with reduced volume.